Free Sleepwalk by Ros Seddon

into tears once more and he held her close to him for a long time, then led her inside and closed the door. She told him about Sandy coming over; about them finding the cat and about Mark coming to bury him. She felt so at ease with David and talking to him was like taking a breath of fresh air; a release for all her bottled up emotions. He was on her wavelength. Here, at last was someone for her to share things with. Now it was his turn to talk and she felt sure he was going to bring her newfound happiness crashing down to earth at any moment. This was a man with something that weighed heavy on his mind. He sat her down and took her hand.
    ‘Flick. I really like you and…….. I have to be totally honest with you.’
    ‘You’re married and you have five children and you’re going to live in Australia .’
    ‘Yes. No. Ok let me tell you first and then you can judge me, afterwards and…….. decide if you still would like to see me again, ok?’
    ‘Ok.’
    ‘You’re right I am married.’ Great. I knew it. Wait for it, how many kids? When does he leave the country? ‘But we separated over a year ago. It…… It’s complicated. She still relies on me from time to time. We have a son, Oliver. He’s two. I expect you wondered why I hadn’t been in touch yesterday….. We went to the beach together, Ollie and I. He; Oliver that is, lives with me. His mother is not well. She…….. Well she does some odd things but that’s another story. Obviously it’s difficult for me to get out without Oliver and, although my mother helps a lot, usually when I’m not at work, I’m with Ollie.’
    ‘I wish you’d told me this before David.’
    ‘I know. I should have. I’m sorry. But I thought you’d probably run a mile. I understand if you want to call it a day, really I do……… but I hope you don’t.’
    She looked up at those deep blue eyes and her heart went out to him. Bringing up a child alone must be hard enough for a woman but for a guy who is working full time she felt honoured that he should take the time out to be with her.
    ‘So where is Ollie now?’
    ‘He’s staying with my parents tonight. I told my mother about you and she seemed quite happy for me to take some time out, although I don’t think she wants me to make a habit out of it which is perfectly understandable.’
    Felicity thought for a minute. He was asking a lot of her. He wanted a relationship with her but it wouldn’t be an easy relationship. Blue e yes had baggage.
    ‘Ok.’ She sighed finally. ‘Look. David I like you, a lot. I think we’re on the same wave length and I’d like to see more of you. Oliver is not a problem to me. I love children. I’d like to have some of my own some day but……. let’s just take it slowly eh? Not rush into anything.’
    ‘That suits me Flick. I just thought …….. Well, at least now that you know you’ll understand if sometimes I can’t see you. Especially at weekends, which is the only time I get to spend properly with Ollie.’
    She hadn’t thought of that. David would only see her w hen he could get time out from his son and that wouldn’t be very often. He wouldn’t want her to become involved in Oliver’s life until he was sure about her and rightly so. But this wouldn’t be easy.
    ‘Of course I…….. I understand completely.’
     
    Abi was in the kitchen loading the washing machine when she found the bloodstains on Ellie’s nightdress and on her grey sloppy Joe jumper. She must have had her period come on in the night and not been able to deal with it. Oh God … the new mattress . She could do without this right now. She ran upstairs and pulled back the sheet but the mattress was clean. She put the two garments soaking into a bowl of powder and added some stain remover. Ellie was hard work these days and she was getting worse. A few nights before, Abi had caught her coming up the stairs at two in the morning wearing jeans and a nightdress. She had stood back in shock as